US20130144536A1 - Medical Device with Wireless Communication Bus - Google Patents

Abstract

A medical device includes an internal wireless communication bus. The medical device comprises a first physiological sensor device comprising a first radio. The medical device further comprises a patient monitor device comprising a second radio. The medical device is configured to establish an internal wireless communication between the first radio and the second radio using the internal wireless communication bus.

Description

BACKGROUND
• In medical applications, some medical devices, for example physiological sensor devices, may need to communicate directly with other medical devices. For example, in signal averaged oscillometry (SAO), performance is improved when an ECG sensor device can communicate directly with a non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) sensor device, particularly in a high noise environment.
• Medical devices are also required to provide electrical isolation as a part of patient safety. However, providing electrical isolation for medical devices, typically in the form of a hardware isolation module, can be expensive. Wireless physiological sensor devices may sometimes be used to provide electrical isolation at a lower total cost than hardware isolation modules. However, wireless physiological sensor devices sometimes have issues with latency and jitter that may make the wireless physiological sensor devices unsuitable for applications like SAO in which communication between physiological sensors is required.
SUMMARY
• Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a medical device that includes an internal wireless communication bus. The medical device comprises a first physiological sensor device comprising a first radio. The medical device further comprises a patient monitor device comprising a second radio. The medical device is configured to establish an internal wireless communication between the first radio and the second radio using the internal wireless communication bus.
• In another aspect, a medical device that includes an internal wireless communication bus, the medical device comprises a first physiological sensor device comprising a first radio; and a second physiological sensor device comprising a second radio. The medical device is configured to establish a first internal wireless communication between the first radio and the second radio using the internal wireless communication bus.
• In another aspect, a method is provided for implementing a wireless communication interface for a medical device. A first wireless communication is established between a first radio in the medical device and a patient monitor device. A second wireless communication is established between a second radio in the medical device and the patient monitor device. A third wireless communication is established between the first radio and the second radio using a low latency communication channel. First physiological data is transferred from the first radio to the second radio using the low latency communication channel.
• In another aspect, a method is provided for improving performance for one or more physiological sensors in a medical device. A wireless communication is established between a first radio in a first physiological sensor and a second radio in a second physiological sensor in the medical device. First physiological data is obtained at the first physiological sensor. The first physiological data is transmitted from the first radio to the second radio via the wireless communication. The first physiological data is received at the second radio. Second physiological data is obtained at the second physiological sensor. The second physiological data is analyzed along with the first physiological data using multi-sensor signal processing to improve performance of the second physiological sensor.
• The details of one or more techniques are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of these techniques will be apparent from the description, drawings, and claims.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 shows an example system which includes a wireless communication bus.
• FIG. 2 shows example components of a medical device for the system ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 3 shows a flowchart for a method of improving the measurement of physiological data for the medical device ofFIG. 2.
• FIG. 4 shows a flowchart for a method of improving the measurement of physiological data for physiological sensor devices ofFIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• The present disclosure is directed to example systems and methods for providing a low latency and/or low jitter wireless communication bus for a medical device. In some examples, the medical device includes a plurality of physiological sensor devices. Each physiological sensor device includes a radio that has a plurality of wireless communication channels. At least one of the wireless communication channels in each radio is a low latency, low jitter communication channel.
• Such a configuration can be advantageous in that the radios themselves can serve as a wireless communication bus. In addition, in some embodiments, the radios provide electrical isolation for the medical device and also permit wireless data communication between the physiological sensor devices in the medical device.
• FIG. 1 shows anexample system100 in which a wireless communication bus may be used. Theexample system100 includes apatient102, apatient monitor device112 and an electronic medical records (EMR)system114. This disclosure uses EMR to refer to EMR and electronic health records (EHR) systems, alternatively.
• A plurality of physiological sensor devices are shown as attached to thepatient102. The example physiological sensor devices include athermometer104, anECG sensor106, a non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP)sensor108 and aSpO2 sensor110. Other examples of physiological sensor devices are possible. One or more of thephysiological sensor devices104,106,108 and110 and thepatient monitor device112 may include a radio for wireless communications.
• Theexample patient monitor112 receives physiological data from one or more of thephysiological sensors104,106,108 and110 and forwards the physiological data to theEMR system114. In addition, the physiological data may be displayed on thepatient monitor112. An example of a patient monitor device is the Connex® Vital Signs Monitor from Welch Allyn, Inc. of Skaneateles Falls, N.Y.
• In certain medical applications, there may be a need for one or more sensor devices to communicate with each other, in addition to communicating with a patient monitor device. For example, if a patient's blood pressure is taken in a noisy environment, for example in an ambulance, a helicopter, etc., pressure pulses due to noise (e.g., rotor chop or a bumpy road) may make it difficult to detect heart beats and consequently make it difficult to properly determine blood pressure.
• When sensor information from an ECG sensor is used to provide electrical heart beat information, the electrical heart beat information may be used to isolate cardiogenic pressure pulses from pressure pulses due to noise, as will be explained in detail later herein. This isolation is typically accomplished by correlating electrical signals from a patient's heart against pressure pulses detected by a blood pressure sensor.
• SAO is an example of a medical application in which electrical heart beat information is correlated with pressure readings to isolate the cardiogenic pressure pulses from the noise pressure pulses. Knowing pressure pulses that are cardiogenic allows an accurate measurement of blood pressure in the presence on noise.
• In medical applications involving coordination of data from a plurality of sensor devices, it can be important for communications between sensor devices to have low latency and low jitter. Latency involves a time delay for transmission of data. Jitter is a variation in latency. The requirement for low latency and low jitter may vary depending on different applications. In one example application where total system latency is less than 35 milliseconds, a radio transmission latency of the total latency may then be limited to 10 milliseconds.
• A communication channel with latency guaranteed to be less than a certain value may need to have jitter be less than the certain value as well. Therefore, when a communication channel has low latency, it also has low jitter. Excessive latency may cause the data to arrive too late, where excessive jitter may, for high packet rates, cause out-of-order delivery of packets. Jitter may also cause a loss of correlation between sensors. In some cases, a system may compensate for a constant or near-constant latency by, for example, delaying a correlation function by the amount of the latency. In this example, error is introduced in the correlation function output when the system exhibits jitter.
• In a medical application such as SAO, both an ECG sensor, for example ECGphysiological sensor device106 and an NIBP sensor device, for example NIBPphysiological sensor device108, are attached to apatient102. An electrical signal in the patient's heart causes the heart to contract. The contraction creates a pressure pulse in arteries of the patient. When theECG sensor106 measures the electrical signal in the patient's heart, theECG sensor106 sends a status signal to theNIBP sensor108. In examples, the electrical signal may correspond to R-wave peak detection at theECG sensor106.
• The status signal alerts the NIBP sensor that an electrical signal has been detected by theECG sensor106. Because of the causal relationship between the electrical and pressure signals, the pressure pulse can be isolated from among the noise pressure pulses using correlation algorithms. Other algorithms are possible to be used for the isolation.
• For example, when anECG sensor106 measures an electrical signal in the heart, a blood pressure pulse is expected in a certain time window. Therefore, theNIBP sensor108 can ignore any pressure pulses that occur outside of that time window from when the status signal is received from theECG sensor106. In one example medical application, when a surgeon inserts an intra-aortic balloon pump, an indication of detection of an electrical pulse may need to occur within 35 milliseconds. Other medical applications may require different maximum latencies. Analysis of signals from multiple sensors to improve the performance of a system to make a specific measurement is generally referred to as multi-sensor signal processing.
• FIG. 2 shows anexample system200 in which multiple sensor devices may communicate with low latency and low jitter. Theexample system200 includesphysiological sensor devices106 and108 andpatient monitor112.
• As discussed, in this example,physiological sensor device106 is an ECG sensor andphysiological sensor device108 is a NIBP sensor device.Physiological sensor devices106 and108 are wireless devices and includeradios202 and204, respectively.Patient monitor112 includesradio206. In theexample system200,radios202,204 and206 support at least one low latency and/or low jitter channel.
• A deterministic channel access protocol can support low latency, as can a dedicated channel access protocol. For one implementation, in a slotted Aloha access protocol, guaranteed time slots may allow a deterministic latency. This may be inefficient when a source (e.g., a patient's heart) operates asynchronous to the access protocol. For example, if one slot per second that matches a heart rate of 60 beats per minute is allowed, then the latency is less than one second, but this may not meet the system performance requirement. If 50 slots per second are allowed, then a transmission latency may be guaranteed to be less than 20 milliseconds. 49 slots of the total 50 slots may be wasted.
• In theexample system200, thephysiological sensor devices106 and108 and the patient monitor112 are contained in onephysical enclosure208. Because all three devices include a radio, the wireless communication betweendevices106,108,112 occurs via an internal wireless communication bus, embedded in thephysical enclosure208, comprising at least two of the radios. The wireless communication betweendevices106,108,112 is an internal wireless communication.
• In another example, it is possible to remove one or more of the three devices and use the removed device as a wireless sensor, whereupon the internal wireless communication bus becomes an external wireless communication bus and the wireless communication between the removed device and the remaining devices becomes an external wireless communication. For example,physiological sensor device108 may be removed from thephysical enclosure208 and still function as a wireless sensor device.
• The wireless communication between thephysiological sensor device108 and thephysiological sensor devices106 and/or the patient monitor112 becomes an external wireless communication. An example of a medical device that has multiple physiological sensors and a patient monitor in one physical enclosure is a Propaq® patient monitor manufactured by Welch Allyn, Inc. of Skaneateles Falls, N.Y.
• In theexample system200, theECG sensor106 establishes a wireless communication withpatient monitor112 and sends ECG data to patient monitor112. TheNIBP sensor108 also establishes a wireless communication withpatient monitor112 and sends blood pressure data to patient monitor112.
• When the patient monitor112 determines that communications have been established with both theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108, if an application layer on the patient monitor112 determines that a medical application like SAO is being implemented, the patient monitor112 may send instructions toECG sensor device106 to establish a low latency communication betweenradio202 on theECG sensor device106 andradio204 on theNIBP sensor device108.
• Alternatively, the patient monitor112 may send instructions toNIBP sensor device108 to establish the low latency communication with theECG sensor device106. The low latency wireless communication between theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 is on a different communication channel than the wireless communication between theECG sensor device106 andpatient monitor112 and the wireless communication between theNIBP sensor device108 andpatient monitor112.
• In one embodiment,patient monitor112 may relay signals betweenECG sensor device106 andNIBP sensor device108.Patient monitor112 services all sensor communications in a restricted time. In another embodiment,radio206 may be configured to relay signals betweenECG sensor device106 andNIBP sensor device108 without actually sending the signals to patient monitor112.
• In applications such as SAO, heart beat data from an ECG sensor may need to be sent to a NIBP sensor device with low jitter and with latency smaller than a beat-to-beat interval. The smaller the jitter is, the easier it is to correlate detected pressure pulses to heart beats and reject noise pressure pulses.
• In a synchronized cardioversion, if a defibrillation pulse occurs during the refractory period of a cardiac cycle, then a ventricular fibrillation may be induced. Intra-aortic balloon pumps are inflated at the beginning of diastole. Current American National Standard AAMI EC13 requires that an ECG synchronization pulse occur within 35 milliseconds of the peak of the R-wave to support these types of applications.
• In these examples,radios202,204 and206 may be ultra-wide band radios.Radios202,204 and206 may use a proprietary communication protocol to provide both low latency and low jitter suitable for a medical application such as SAO, synchronized cardioversion, and insertion in intra-aortic balloon pumps.
• The low latency wireless communication betweenradio202 andradio204 comprises an internal wireless communication bus. When the low latency wireless communication is established, data and status information may be transferred from theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 with low latency and low jitter.
• Another way to coordinate data between physiological sensors is to use time stamping. For example, when theECG sensor device106 detects an R-wave peak corresponding to a heartbeat, a status signal that theECG sensor device106 sends to theNIBP sensor device108 includes a time stamp. When theNIBP sensor device108 receives the status signal, theNIBP sensor device108 can determine whether any pressure pulses theNIBP sensor device108 detects have occurred within a fixed latency time window. Clocks on theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 may be synchronized for the use of time stamping.
• A low latency wireless communication channel may also be used to synchronize data from physiological sensor devices when the physiological sensor devices are attached to the same patient but are not part of the same medical device. In one example, an ECG sensor device, for exampleECG sensor device106 and a NIBP sensor device, for example theNIBP sensor device108, may both include radios and proximity detectors. When the proximity detectors determine that a distance between theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 are within a first predetermined threshold, a wireless communication is established between theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108. In examples, the wireless communication may be established by a wireless communication protocol such as Bluetooth or Zigbee.
• Once a wireless communication is established, a determination may be made as to whether theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 are attached to the same patient. In one example, when the proximity detectors determine that a distance between the sensor devices is within a second predetermined threshold, lower than the first predetermined threshold for establishing a wireless communication, a determination is made that the sensor devices are attached to the same patient. In another example, theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 may each also have a wireless communication to a patient monitor device, for example patient monitor112.
• The wireless communication of each wireless sensor to the patient monitor device may be verified. In examples, verification may be done through manual confirmation. The verification may also be done by correlation of physiological data.
• Once theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 have a verified communication to the patient monitor112, they may obtain a patient ID from thepatient monitor112. In an example, when theECG sensor device106 is attached to the patient and theECG sensor device106 detects proximity of the patient monitor112, theECG sensor device106 may initiate and verify communication to the patient monitor112 if a range between theECG sensor device106 and the patient monitor112 is within a limit. Alternately, theECG sensor device106 may initiate a communication and then the patient monitor112 may prompt a clinician to manually confirm the communication. In another example, when theECG sensor device106 is attached to a patient and the communication is verified, and when theNIBP sensor device108 is subsequently attached to the patient, theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 may exchange physiological data after detecting thesensor devices106,108 are in range of each other. The exchange of physiological data between theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 provides an additional method for verifying the communication is to the same patient.
• For example, theECG sensor device106 may send R-wave peak detection data to theNIBP sensor device108. The R-wave peak detection data is based on evaluating the peak in the QRS complex of the cardiac electrical rhythm that is detected at theECG sensor device106. When theNIBP sensor device108 correlates R-wave intervals from pressure pulses measured at theNIBP sensor device108 with the R-wave received from theECG sensor device106, theNIBP sensor device108 may make a determination that theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 are attached to the same patient and therefore may be assumed they are attached to thesame patient monitor112.
• TheECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 may obtain a patient ID from thepatient monitor112. In another example where there is no patient monitor, one sensor device, for example theNIBP sensor device108 may obtain a patient ID from a second sensor device, for example theECG sensor device106, which is provided the patient ID when theECG sensor device106 is provisioned for use on the patient.
• When a determination is made that theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 are attached to the same patient, a new low jitter wireless communication may be established between theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108. In this example, establishing the new low jitter communication may depend on whether theNIBP sensor device108 implements SAO. The communication protocol on the standard channel may communicate this information. Alternately, a low jitter communication channel may be established. Thesensor devices106,108 determine if a SAO is required. If a SAO is not required, the low jitter communication channel may be disabled.
• FIG. 3 shows an example flowchart of amethod300 for using a wireless communication bus to improve the measurement of physiological data in a medical device. For themethod300, the medical device includes two physiological sensor devices, for exampleECG sensor device106 andNIBP sensor device108. Each physiological sensor device includes a radio (forexample radios202 and204) that comprises part of a wireless communication bus. Because the communication bus is wireless and provides electrical isolation, no separate isolation of signals, for example using optocouplers, may be needed to accomplish the desired isolation.
• Atoperation302, a wireless communication is established between a first physiological sensor device in the medical device, for exampleECG sensor device106, and a patient monitor device, for example patient monitor112. The communication is established when a proximity detector in the first physiological sensor device determines that the distance between the first physiological sensor device and the patient monitor is within a predetermined threshold. The communication is established betweenradio202 in theECG sensor device106 andradio206 in thepatient monitor112.Radios202 and206 typically include a plurality of communication channels. The communication is typically made on a standard communication channel that may or may not be a low latency communication channel.
• Atoperation304, a wireless communication is established between a second physiological sensor device, for exampleNIBP sensor device108, and the patient monitor device. The communication is established when a proximity detector in the second physiological sensor device determines that the distance between the second physiological sensor device and the patient monitor is within the predetermined threshold.
• Because the first physiological sensor device and the second physiological sensor device are both physically located in the same medical device, the wireless communication between the second physiological sensor device and the patient monitor typically occurs soon after the wireless communication between the first physiological sensor device and the patient monitor device occurs. The communication is established betweenradio204 in theNIBP sensor device108 andradio206 in thepatient monitor112. The communication is typically made on a standard communication channel that may or may not be a low latency communication channel.
• At operation306 a wireless communication is established between the first physiological sensor device and the second physiological sensor device. In examples, when the patient monitor determines that the medical device includes both an ECG sensor device and an NIBP sensor device and that the medical device is running an application such as SAO, in which a measurement of physiological data at the NIBP sensor may be synchronized with physiological data from the ECG sensor, the patient monitor112 sends a message to theradio202 of theECG sensor device106 instructing theECG sensor device106 to establish the wireless communication withradio204 of theNIBP sensor device108.
• Atoperation308, while theNIBP sensor device108 is deflating or inflating, physiological data from the first physiological sensor device is obtained and status is sent to the second physiological sensor device. For example for SAO, when theECG sensor device106 determines that R-wave peak detection has occurred, a message indicating that R-wave peak detection has occurred is sent fromradio202 of theECG sensor device106 toradio204 of theNIBP sensor device108. In examples, actual physiological data from the R-wave peak detection may also be sent fromradio202 toradio204.
• Atoperation310, the measurement of the R-wave peak detection at theECG sensor device106 is analyzed in combination with a measurement of a pressure pulses at theNIBP sensor device108. When theNIBP sensor device108 receives the message atoperation308 indicating that R-wave peak detection has occurred, the R-wave peak and prior R-wave peaks are correlated against the pressure data detected byNIBP sensor device108. The correlation shows a maximum for pressure peaks that matches the R-R intervals from ECG and allows detection of pressure pulses that are due to cardiogenic sources. In this manner, the measurement of the R-wave peak detection at theECG sensor device106 correlates with the measurement of blood pressure at theNIBP sensor device108.
• Atoperation312, theNIBP sensor device108 calculates a blood pressure for the patient and sends the calculated blood pressure to thepatient monitor112.
• FIG. 4 shows an example flowchart of amethod400 for using a wireless communication to correlate physiological data between two physiological sensors when the two physiological sensors are on the same patient but are not part of the same medical device. For themethod400, each of the two physiological sensors includes radios and proximity detectors. For themethod400, one physiological sensor is an ECG sensor device, for exampleECG sensor device106 and a second physiological sensor is a NIBP sensor device, for exampleNIBP sensor device108.
• Atoperation402, a wireless communication is established between the two physiological sensors. In examples, the wireless communication may be established through a standard Bluetooth protocol. In other examples, the wireless communication may be established when the proximity detectors on theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 determine that the distance between theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 is within a predetermined threshold.
• In one example, the Bluetooth LE Find Me or the Bluetooth LE Proximity profile may be used to determine when the distance between theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 is within a predetermined threshold. Other examples of establishing the wireless communication between theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 are possible. In one example, the wireless communication has a maximum latency of about10 milleseconds. Other example maximum latency is possible.
• Atoperation404, theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 determine that they are physically attached to the same patient. In one example, a determination is made that the sensor devices are attached to the same patient when the proximity detectors on theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 determine that the distance between theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 is within a predetermined threshold. In another example, theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 may separately obtain a patient ID from a patient monitor device, for example patient monitor112. When theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 make a determination that the patient ID is the same, theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 determine that they are physically attached to the same person.
• In yet another example, theECG sensor device106 may send R-wave peak detection data to theNIBP sensor device108. TheNIBP sensor device108 may compare the R-wave peak detection data to intervals of R-wave data obtained on theNIBP sensor device108. When there is a correlation of the R-wave data, a determination is made that theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 are attached to the same person. Other examples of determining that theECG sensor device106 and the NIBP sensor device are attached to the same patient are possible.
• Atoperation406, when a determination is made that theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108 are attached to the same person, a low latency, low jitter communication is established between theECG sensor device106 and theNIBP sensor device108.
• Atoperation408 after the low latency communication is established, physiological data from the first physiological sensor is obtained and status is sent to the second physiological sensor. For example for SAO, when theECG sensor device106 determines that R-wave peak detection has occurred, a message indicating that R-wave peak detection has occurred is sent fromradio202 of theECG sensor device106 toradio204 of theNIBP sensor device108. In examples, actual physiological data from the R-wave peak detection may also be sent fromradio202 toradio204.
• Atoperation410, the measurement of the R-wave peak detection at theECG sensor device106 is correlated with a measurement of a pressure pulse at theNIBP sensor device108. When theNIBP sensor device108 receives the message atoperation408 indicating that R-wave peak detection has occurred, the R-wave peak and prior R-wave peaks are correlated against the pressure data detected byNIBP sensor device108. The correlation shows a maximum for pressure peaks that matches the R-R intervals from ECG and allows detection of pressure pulses that are due to cardiogenic sources. In this manner, the measurement of the R-wave peak detection at theECG sensor device106 correlates the measurement of blood pressure at theNIBP sensor device108.
• Atoperation412, theNIBP sensor device108 calculates a blood pressure for the patient and sends the calculated blood pressure to thepatient monitor112. In examples where there is no patient monitor, theNIBP sensor device108 may send data directly to an EMR system, to a clinician device such as a personal digital assistant (PDA) or smartphone, and/or may display the data on a local display.
• A physiological sensor, patient monitor and EMR system are computing devices and typically include at least one processing unit, system memory and a power source. Depending on the exact configuration and type of computing device, the system memory may be physical memory, such as volatile memory (such as RAM), non-volatile memory (such as ROM, flash memory, etc.) or some combination of the two. System memory typically includes an embedded operating system suitable for controlling the operation of the sensor device. The system memory may also include one or more software applications and may include program data.
• The various embodiments described above are provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed to limiting. Various modifications and changes that may be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the true spirit and scope of the disclosure.

Claims (23)

What is claimed is:

1. A medical device that includes an internal wireless communication bus, the medical device comprising:

a first physiological sensor device comprising a first radio; and

a patient monitor device comprising a second radio,

wherein, the medical device is configured to establish an internal wireless communication between the first radio and the second radio using the internal wireless communication bus.

2. The medical device ofclaim 1, wherein the first radio further comprises a plurality of communication channels, at least one communication channel on the first radio being a low latency communication channel, wherein the second radio further comprises a plurality of communication channels, at least one communication channel on the second radio being a low latency communication channel and wherein the internal wireless communication is established on a low latency communication channel of the first radio and the second radio.

3. The medical device ofclaim 1, wherein the first and second radios each are configured to provide proximity detection.

4. The medical device ofclaim 3, wherein the internal wireless communication is established when the first radio is within a proximity of the patient monitor device.

5. The medical device ofclaim 1, wherein the first physiological sensor device is removed from the medical device and functions as a wireless physiological sensor device.

6. The medical device ofclaim 5, wherein the medical device is further configured to establish an external wireless communication between the first physiological sensor device and the patient monitor device.

7. The medical device ofclaim 6, wherein the first physiological sensor device and the patient monitor device each include a proximity detection device, the external wireless communication being established when the first physiological sensor device is within a proximity of the patient monitor device.

8. A medical device that includes an internal wireless communication bus, the medical device comprising:

a first physiological sensor device comprising a first radio; and

a second physiological sensor device comprising a second radio,

wherein, the medical device is configured to establish a first internal wireless communication between the first radio and the second radio using the internal wireless communication bus.

9. The medical device ofclaim 8, wherein the first radio further comprises a plurality of communication channels, at least one communication channel on the first radio being a low latency communication channel, wherein the second radio further comprises a plurality of communication channels, at least one communication channel on the second radio being a low latency communication channel and wherein the first internal wireless communication is established on a low latency communication channel of the first radio and the second radio.

10. The medical device ofclaim 8, further comprising a patient monitor device and a third radio, wherein the medical device is further configured to establish a second internal wireless communication between the first physiological sensor device and the patient monitor device.

11. The medical device ofclaim 10, wherein the medical device establishes the second internal wireless communication after receiving a message from the patient monitor device.

12. The medical device ofclaim 8, wherein a measurement of physiological data from the second physiological sensor device is analyzed in combination with information obtained from the first physiological sensor device via the internal wireless communication bus.

13. The medical device ofclaim 8, wherein the first physiological sensor device is removed from the medical device and functions as a wireless physiological sensor device.

14. The medical device ofclaim 13, further comprising a patient monitor device and a third radio, wherein the medical device is further configured to establish an external wireless communication between the first physiological sensor device and the patient monitor device.

15. A method of implementing a wireless communication interface for a medical device, the method comprising:

establishing a first wireless communication between a first radio in the medical device and a patient monitor device;

establishing a second wireless communication between a second radio in the medical device and the patient monitor device;

establishing a third wireless communication between the first radio and the second radio using a low latency communication channel; and

transferring first physiological data from the first radio to the second radio using the low latency communication channel.

16. The method ofclaim 15, further comprising:

measuring second physiological data at the medical device, the measurement of the second physiological data being correlated with a measurement of the first physiological data at the second radio.

17. The method ofclaim 16, further comprising:

improving performance of the measurement of the second physiological data by correlation of the measurement of the second physiological data with the first physiological data.

18. The method ofclaim 15, wherein establishing the first wireless communication further comprises determining that a proximity between the medical device and the patient monitor device is within a predetermined threshold and wherein establishing the second wireless communication further comprises determining that the proximity between the medical device and the patient monitor device is within the predetermined threshold.

19. A method for improving performance for one or more physiological sensors in a medical device, the method comprising:

establishing a wireless communication between a first radio in a first physiological sensor and a second radio in a second physiological sensor in the medical device;

obtaining first physiological data at the first physiological sensor;

transmitting the first physiological data from the first radio to the second radio via the wireless communication;

receiving the first physiological data at the second radio;

obtaining second physiological data at the second physiological sensor; and

analyzing the second physiological data along with the first physiological data using multi-sensor signal processing to improve performance of the second physiological sensor.

20. The method ofclaim 19, further comprising:

sending a message from the first radio to the second radio, the message including the first physiological data and a time stamp indicating when the first physiological data is obtained.

21. The method ofclaim 19, wherein the wireless communication between the first radio and the second radio is a low latency communication.

22. The method ofclaim 21, wherein the wireless communication has a maximum latency of about 10 milliseconds.

23. The method ofclaim 19, wherein the wireless communication between the first radio and the second radio is a low jitter communication.

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